Acupuncture Needle Left in Woman's Back

A woman who went for an acupuncture session arrived home in agony after a physiotherapist left a two-inch needle in her lower back.

Wendy Dempsey, 54, had her first acupuncture session at St Woolos Hospital in Newport, South Wales, in an effort to combat back pain.

As she set off home in no pain, but as she started to drive she became increasingly uncomfortable. When she eventually arrived at her home, five miles away from the hospital, she was unable to move from the car for 15 minutes due to the pain.

On returning to the house, she asked her eight-year-old nephew Ieuan Edwards to examine her back to see if he could see the source of the pain.

He immediately started screaming, and a neighbour drove Mrs Dempsey to the Royal Gwent Hospital, and the needle was taken out of her lower back.

An investigation has now been launched by the local NHS Trust, which has since apologised.